Clinton County Board of Education met in regular session Monday evening, March 20 with all members and a limited number of business items on the agenda.

The board first recognized several Clinton County Middle School students who excelled recently in academic team competition as well as participation in the Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA) program. The academic competition was hosted by CCMS with the local team winning the district overall.

The board then approved several consent items, as follows:

* Medical leaves (ongoing): family medical leave for Marcy Aaron through March 2; family medical leave for Darrell Thompson through May 3; intermittent family medical leave for Teresa Williams through May 31; extend a family medical leave for Teresa Boils through May 1; and, a family medical for Frances C. Brown through May 31.

* Approved between meeting disbursements and claims and bills.

* Student services (upcoming): overnight trip for the tennis team to the Bowling Green Invitational tournament March 24-25; overnight trip for high school 4-H students to Trooper Island March 31, Lake Cumberland State Park, April 20 and Wolf River on May 4; band trips for middle and high school to University of the Cumberlands April 29 and Kentucky Flute Festival at Campbellsville University March 24-25; overnight trip for FBLA students to competition in Louisville in April trip for College & Career students to College & Career Celebration in Lexington May 3; approval of overnight trip for FBLA students to Nationals in Anaheim, California June 6 through July 2 (contingent upon student performance at state competition); approved CCMS and CCHS spring sports schedules, including baseball, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Finance Director Mike Reeves then gave the monthly finance report, noting the district was on target budget-wise to this point of the year and reported the upcoming working budget is currently being put together with budget meetings being held. The budget will be presented to the board in May for approval.

Board chairperson Paula Key then gave the monthly personnel report, as follows:

* Certified resignation: Melissa Tallent, teacher at Clinton County High School;

* Classified resignations: Sheila K. Thrasher, Food Service Manager I, effective June 30; Cheryl Boils, Student Fitness Leader, district-wide; Michael Guffey, custodian at CCHS; and Tina Smith, cook/baker at Albany Elementary School;

* Classified hired: Tonna Dumford, cook/baker, district-wide; Larry Johnson, assistant baseball coach at CCMS; Assane Ndiaye, boys’ soccer coach at the high school;

* Classified transfers: Robert Williams, from full-time substitute bus driver to regular driver; Rural Parrigan, from Early Childhood custodian to CCHS custodian;

* Substitute teachers: Kim Koger, ECC and AES; Beverly Upchurch, Home Hospital; Brian Tarter, Tammy Sawyers, Assane Ndiaye and Matthew Staton, all district-wide.

The board then gave approval to the amended 2016-17 school calendar. The district has only missed one official school day, with the new closing day being May 19 and the last day for student classroom attendance being May 18.

They also approved the 2017-18 school calendar for Foothills Academy, which is virtually unchanged from the current year.

The board also approved by unanimous vote, the Clinton County High School Cheerleaders Spirit Week fundraiser to be conducted April 17-21, with proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.

Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York then gave the monthly attendance report for the seventh month of the year.

Although attendance was down by 1.6 percent–from 92.80 last year to 91.20 this year for the same month, York noted the district, compared to many other districts in the state, had been fortunate, both that school has not been cancelled due to a wide variety of illness and therefore have a higher overall ADA than many districts this past winter.

The school with the highest attendance rate once again was Albany Elementary at 92.50 for the month, which ran from February 9 through March 9.

York also updated the board on other attendance related issues such as the number of students in the Virtual Academy program; Homebound program; final notices to parents (regarding student absenteeism) and truancy cases that had to be taken to local family courts.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief then presented the monthly superintendent’s report, noting she had been in several meetings and conferences and was working on such issues as the budget and facility planning, among others.

The board also discussed the success of the recent “Truth or Consequences” program catered this year to freshman with hopes to expand that event for seniors in the future and get more parent involvement.

The event, held annually, presents students with adverse situations that could happen to them and shows the consequences of adverse behaviors.

Board member Gary Norris also asked about a driver’s education program, with Superintendent Nasief noting such a curriculum may be added during evening or summer school. CCHS Principal Stacey Evans also noted there was going to be a four-hour state driver education program offered at the high school on May 12.

The next regular meeting of the school board is scheduled for Monday, April 17 with a work session the previous Thursday, April 13.